LINN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Linn County Board of Supervisors passed the third and final consideration of the Duane Arnold Energy Center rezoning. The board unanimously approved the last consideration just as it has for the first two. The rezoning application is part of Duane Arnold Energy Center’s request to restart a nuclear power facility in Linn County. The proposed location was zoned agriculture and is now rezoned to exclusive use 2 (EU-2) for nuclear power generation facilities. The company NextEra Energy plans to re-open the nuclear plant in Palo sometime in 2029. But it will be required to pay Linn County every year for hosting the plant. That’s part of an agreement the County Board of Supervisors approved. One supervisor said that agreement was part of why the board voted to approve the re-zoning. Another supervisor noted the reopening of Duane Arnold would add new jobs to the county. The Board of Supervisors has the final decision on rezoning applications in unincorporated Linn County. The Duane Arnold Energy Center application will also need approval from multiple state and federal regulatory authorities, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, before a restart can occur.
JOHNSON CO., Iowa (KCRG) – The Johnson County supervisors learned the term limits of their districts after a judge ruled last week the lawsuit over the district change can continue. During the work session Wednesday morning, Johnson County Auditor Julie Persons drew lots determining the term limits for each district. District 1 and 5 will serve four-year term limits, and districts 2, 3 and 4 will initially serve two-year terms. All five board seats are on the ballot in November. Registered voters will be notified which new supervisor district they are in before the June 2 primary. The law passed last year requires supervisors in Johnson, Black Hawk, and Story counties to be elected by district instead of at-large. Republican legislators said the idea is to give rural voters in those counties more of a voice. A group of voters from those counties sued over the law, saying the counties were targeted for having major universities. On January 7, a judge denied their motion for an injunction, ruling the law does not actually impact their right to vote. That judge also denied a motion from the state to dismiss the lawsuit. The lawsuit will continue with a non-jury trial scheduled for March 3, 2027.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI/KCRG) – A Waterloo man with multiple felony warrants is in custody after leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash on Interstate 235 Monday. Des Moines police say they spotted a stolen Chevrolet Tahoe near 6th Avenue and University Avenue just before 3:00 p.m. 64-year-old Thomas Campbell of Waterloo was identified as the driver. Officers attempted to stop Campbell near 3rd Street and Laurel Street at 2:51 p.m., but he fled eastbound on I-235. Police say Campbell swerved through traffic at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour before crashing near the Guthrie Avenue exit about a minute later. According to investigators, Campbell hit another vehicle before crashing into a semi-truck. The vehicle became wedged underneath the trailer. An adult male passenger in Campbell’s vehicle suffered minor injuries and had to be extricated. The semi-truck driver also suffered minor injuries. Both were taken to local hospitals. Campbell was evaluated at a hospital before being booked into the Polk County Jail. He is charged with felony eluding at speeds more than 25 miles per hour over the limit and eight misdemeanor traffic offenses. Police say Campbell also had several active arrest warrants, including for second-degree theft, third-degree burglary, and fourth-degree criminal mischief.
CHEROKEE, Iowa (KTIV) – A Cherokee man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a health/food inspector and threatening to shut down a restaurant on December 20, 2025. According to court documents, 40-year-old Jason David Skadeland presented himself as a health/food inspector and threatened to shut down the Little Panda Restaurant. Documents say that Skadeland was picking up food at the time and was being belligerent to employees. Skadeland is not employed by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing Food Safety Bureau, which handles restaurant inspections.
